Improvising Life

Three Evenings at Dharma Punx

I'm delighted to be filling in for Josh Korda in February at the Tuesday evening meditation of DharmaPunx. The topic of my talks will be about how true equanimity is like an improvisation-- there are no wrong notes in life.

These two core Buddhist teachings are an important access point for many as we seek true freedom. In this class we will explore various formal and informal practices which lead to Insights into the nature of self and suffering. We will look at some of the key suttas related to these teachings and put them into the context of our daily lives.

These teacher-led sittings provide an opportunity for the Sangha to meet with NewYork Insight teachers for meditation, a Dharma talk and dialogue to address practice issues. Open to all regardless of experience. No registration fee but an opportunity to practice generosity.

Join Jon Aaron and Beth Mulligan in exploring and practicing the foundational teachings of Mindfulness in a 5-night silent residential retreat. This retreat will take place at the lovely Sienna Retreat Center on the shores of Lake Michigan

Co-Sponsored by the The University Of Massachusetts Medical School Center for Mindfulness and Mindful-Way Stress Reduction Programs

Our life unfolds like music from an orchestra. We respond or react depending on the tonality in any given moment. Over time, we gain a fixed interpretation of this music, and expect it to continue to unfold in a similar way according to our tastes and preferences. We are thrown off base when a discordant note arrives. Through practice, though, we learn to improvise and begin to realize that riffing off the discordant can create beauty.

This is an opportunity to renew and deepen your practice of compassion and mindfulness meditation, and live fully in a strong, supportive, and beautiful environment enhanced by silence with the support of experienced teachers.

Much of our time will be spent engaged in sitting and walking meditation with periods of mindful movement. The teachers will provide meditation instruction and guidance along with daily talks.

These teacher-led sittings provide an opportunity for the Sangha to meet with NewYork Insight teachers for meditation, a Dharma talk and dialogue to address practice issues. Open to all regardless of experience. No registration fee but an opportunity to practice generosity.

One of the powers of mindfulness is that it brings greater awareness of long-held resentments toward ourselves and others. This can become an obstacle to our practice and it is essential that we face resentments and the inner-critic with a heart of forgiveness and compassion. These four sessions for MBSR alumni will give participants an opportunity to check-in and to integrate the seeds of forgiveness and compassion into our daily practice.

Pre-requisites: MBSR. Insight 101 If you have questions about whether this class is appropriate please ask to contact me.

This will be a wonderful opportunity to practice in nature in a unique New York setting.

The Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge—part of Gateway National Recreation Area—is one of the most significant bird sanctuaries in the Northeastern United States and one of the best places in New York City to observe migrating species. With more than 330 bird species—nearly half the species in the Northeast—sighted at the refuge over the last 25 years.

This will be the part of a monthly series of nature meditation offerings from March to September, 2017. No prior meditation experience required.

This will be the same curriculum as presented in the 8-week MBSR class but in an online inter-active format using Zoom. The class will be limited to 20 participants and an excellent opportunity for participants around the country and abroad who don't have access to this transformative class.

The time of the class has been set to appeal to people in various time zones.

Participants will need a good connectivity and a quiet place to take the class.

This 8-Week class is geared toward those who deal with persistent pain, illness or other conditions affecting one’s physical health.

The curriculum was originally developed by Vidyamala Burch, founder of Breathworks in England. While it is in some ways similar to the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction class developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn it is much more specifically teaching how the power of mindfulness addresses chronic physical pain and illness. Participants will learn how to manage their pain in daily life, breath and body awareness practices, gentle mindful movement, and numerous meditation practices to cultivate a greater sense of kindness toward self and others.

Participants will receive a class workbook, a copy of Vidyamala Burch’s book, You are Not Your Pain, and meditation recordings via MP3.

Because of the nature of the class, registration is limited to 10 participants. Upon registration you will be requested to fill out an application and then have an interview with Jon Aaron to determine if the class is appropriate for you.

Has your meditation practice been flagging? Are you finding yourself falling into unskillful habits? Give your mindfulness practice a boost. This short workshop will include periods of formal practice, inquiry and discussion and offer many options for exploring all the areas in your life where the seeds of practice can be cultivated.

Whether you've recently completed Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction or your practice just needs a bit of energizing,these four weeks, will give you an opportunity to practice with a group, check in with a teacher and deepen your understanding around the aspects of Lovingkindness practice.

A half-day of practice for those interested in refreshing their meditation practice and taking a brief vacation from their digital devices. There will be instruction in sitting and walking meditation and a talk on the value of stillness.

Has your meditation practice been flagging? Are you finding yourself falling into unskillful habits? Give you mindfulness practice a boost. This class will include periods of formal practice, inquiry and discussion and offer many options for exploring all the areas in your life where the seeds of practice can be cultivated.

Whether you’re a brand-new beginner, a dabbler, or a skilled meditator seeking the company of others, join expert teachers in a 45-minute weekly program designed to fit into your lunch break. Each session will be inspired by a different work of art from the Rubin Museum’s collection, and will include an opening talk, a 20-minute sitting session, and a closing discussion. Chairs will be provided.

Whether you’re a brand-new beginner, a dabbler, or a skilled meditator seeking the company of others, join expert teachers in a 45-minute weekly program designed to fit into your lunch break. Each session will be inspired by a different work of art from the Rubin Museum’s collection, and will include an opening talk, a 20-minute sitting session, and a closing discussion. Chairs will be provided.

This is a special day long for men, co-led with my colleagues Gary Singer and Joshua Bee Alafia. This day of practice will be an opportunity to explore our vulnerability and our willingness to open our lives up more fully to the Four Noble Truths though lovingkindness, compassion and resonant joy.

Anyone who has explored any aspect of the early Buddhist teachings is aware of the fact that the teachings incorporate a great many lists. This of course was a valuable technique in pre-literate times but can be at times confusing for our 21st century brains. The purpose of this course, is not the lists themselves, but the categories of experience that they point to. How do we fully integrate these teachings—whether it be the Five Hindrances, or the Seven Awakening Factors, or the Eightfold Path—into our daily lives?

Mindfulness of the Body is the key to liberation but only if it is infused with kindness and compassion. In these sessions we will explore the first Satipattana (Field of Mindfulness) in all of its dimensions. Exploring how kindness can melt resistance to reveal the freedom and calm that is the natural state.